The present embodiment(s) relates to fault diagnosis, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for locating a unit in an assembly.
At present, many electronic and/or mechanical devices have a self-diagnosis function for detecting whether hardware units and/or software units in some assemblies of a device are in a normal working state. The term “unit” used here refers to a component providing a corresponding function in a device; the term “assembly” refers to an apparatus composed of one or more such units. By way of example, an assembly may be a motherboard in an electronic device, while a unit may comprise various slots, ports and other components on the motherboard.
One important aspect of the diagnostic function is alarming a human user (e.g., a technical expert or engineer) when detecting a fault or abnormality occurring to some unit, such that the user can identify and locate the failing unit. As an example, the light path diagnostics is a common diagnostics technology in the industry. Generally, a light emitting element such as light emitting diode (LED) is arranged nearby a specific unit or module in the device. When a unit is detected to have a fault, an associated LED may be driven to emit light so as to generate an intuitive prompt, such that the human user can identify and locate the failing unit.
Light path diagnostics has some drawbacks, e.g., the LED per se needs a battery or super capacity to supply power, which increases the total power consumption of the device. Moreover, the LED has a certain service life, which increases costs for LED maintenance and replacement. Moreover, when the LED per se fails, it would be impossible to identify a corresponding failing unit. Additionally, it inevitably increases the difficulty and complexity of wiring to equip LEDs for so many units, which might also increase the volume and weight of the device. These drawbacks are particularly outstanding for those portable and small devices.
Besides the purpose of fault diagnosis, it is likewise required to identify or locate a target unit in an assembly in many other cases. For example, even no units in the assembly fail, a technician may likewise need to locate any target unit in the assembly for various purposes such as maintenance, overhaul, and replacement.
Therefore, it is desirable in the art to provide a solution for locating a unit in an assembly more effectively.